Housing

Services: Abby's House offers many services to help women and their children find housing and become self-sufficient. These include counseling and referrals, a food pantry and thrift shop, educational programs, and medical care. Abby's House helps women recovering from substance abuse, women with mental health problems or HIV/AIDS, and women who are victims of domestic violence. In addition, Abby's House offers emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing.

Eligibility: Abby's House helps women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, age 18 or older, with or without children. They do not accept women actively abusing drugs or alcohol, but welcome women in recovery.

Eligibility: These services are for very low income families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Family Housing

How do I apply? For DTA family shelters, you should apply for Emergency Assistance at your local Department of Transitional Assistance office. For non-DTA family shelters or for community beds, you should call the shelter directly.

Public Housing

What is public housing? Public housing is low-rent housing built with government money. The federal and state governments provide money for public housing for low and moderate-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The Worcester Housing Authority is in charge of public housing in Worcester.

Am I eligible? To be eligible for public housing, your household income must be no greater than 80% of the area median income. For dollar amounts, see What are the income limits? on MassResources.org. Federal public housing has noncitizen eligibility rules. "Senior only" public housing has age requirements. For all public housing, your references, criminal background check, and credit history must show that will be a good tenant.
Eligibility Check: The MassResources.org Rental Assistance Eligibility Check is an easy way for you to find out if you are likely to qualify for public housing. After you answer a set of questions about your family, your living situation, your income, and your expenses, you will see the results of the eligibility check right away, on your computer screen.

What rent will I pay? You will pay about 30% of your net monthly income for rent. The amount depends on whether you live in state or federal public housing and whether utilities are included in your rent.

How do I apply? The Worcester Housing Authority (WHA) is in charge of public housing in Worcester. You can call the WHA at 508-635-3000 and ask them to send you an application, or you can pick one up at the WHA office at 40 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA 01605. The Worcester Housing Authority web site has public housing locations and more information.

There is a waiting list for most types of public housing, and it may take several years to get housing. The Worcester Housing Authority keeps separate waiting lists by bedroom size. If you are in one or more preference categories, your name will be placed above others on the waiting list.

· Veterans, or families of deceased veterans if the death was service related

· People who are homeless, or living in substandard housing that puts their health or safety at risk

· People who are forced to move from their homes through no fault of their own (because of disaster, government action, action of the property owner, inaccessibility of the unit, domestic violence, hate crimes, or fear of reprisals)

For state public housing, the Worcester Housing Authority gives preference to:

· People who are homeless due to fire or natural disaster

· People who are homeless or will be made homeless due to public action or sanitary code violations

· People in emergency situations, whose life or safety is threatened by a lack of suitable housing, such as victims of domestic abuse or those with medical emergencies

· Veterans, or families of deceased veterans whose death was service-related

· Local residents

· People who are already getting certain types of housing assistance who must move

What happens when I get housing? You and the Worcester Housing Authority must sign a lease. The lease will list the rent you must pay, the names of the people who can live in your apartment, how long the lease will last, which utilities you must pay (if any), the rules you must follow, and the housing authority's responsibilities. The housing authority will check your income and household size and recalculate your rent each year. Once you get public housing, you have the right to stay in it as long as you meet eligibility requirements, pay your rent, and follow the rules.

More informationMore information about Public Housing is on our statewide web site, MassResources.org. When you click on the link below, you will go to MassResources.org. Click "Back" on your browser to return to WorcesterResources.org.

Transitional Housing

The Worcester Housing Authority reserves 30 apartments to house homeless families in its Transitional Housing Program (THP). This program is funded by HUD (10 apartments) and DHCD (20 apartments) and is one of the largest of its kind in New England.

The goal of our THP is to help homeless families become self-sufficient. Participating families work to meet their self-determined goals and once they have met them, they graduate, and lease their apartment becoming traditional public housing residents.

Families receive extensive support including service referrals, transportation and regular interaction with the caseworker.

How to Enroll? The Department of Transitional Assistance or area homeless shelters refer families to the program. Families complete an extensive program application and assessment where they describe their family, personal challenges and life goals. The goals help determine how the family can address their particular needs and obstacles to self-sufficiency. Goals often include completing a GED or ESL program, paying off debt, community college training or learning life skills.

Program Requirements: Families enrolled in the THP do not pay a monthly rent. However, there are several requirements of program participants.

1. Families are required to save a specific percentage of their monthly income. This money is targeted to assist families when they leave the program.

2. Employed or participating in a job search.

3. If unemployed, they must participate in education or vocational training.

4. Participation group sessions focusing on building life and relationship skills.

5. Meet monthly budgeting goals.

6. Follow program rules.

7. No drugs or alcohol use.

WHA Offerings: Each family enrolled in our THP is assigned a caseworker who is trained to assist the family in their efforts toward self-sufficiency. The following are a few of the things that we do to help our families.

1. Supply them with furniture for their apartment.

2. Supply them with kitchen utensils, kitchenware, pots and pans.

3. Provide a range of personal training and information including

o Basic finance and banking

o Child development and parenting skills

o Adult and child health education

4. Offer ESL and GED programming on site.

5. Offer employment counseling and job placement assistance.

6. Offer an after-school homework assistance program for all children in elementary school grades.

7. Enroll families in Mass Health or other health care benefits.

8. Act as family advocates with area services agencies and schools.

9. After school tutoring and homework help.

10. Refer and take families to service providers.

When they graduate: The requirements and length of stay in the federal and state programs are different. For example, in the federal program participating families can stay up to 12 months. In the state program, the length of stay is typically 6-7 months with a maximum stay of one-year as determined by Department of Transitional Assistance.

Once a family graduates they typically transition into becoming a regular tenant, leasing the apartment they occupied in the THP. Some participants set a goal of saving money to move to a private apartment, one family saved enough to pay off debt and purchase their own home.

Families needing support after graduation participate in an After Care program. The caseworker will visit the family, offer assistance or provide help from time to time, based on the family needs.

For more information, visit our Transitional Housing office located at 32 Great Brook Valley Ave or call us at 508-635-3355.

Housing Locations - Seniors Only

ElmParkTower Apartments, 425 Pleasant Street
This 16-story senior-only building offers one and two-bedroom apartments with views of historic Elm Park. In addition to its convenient location to public transportation and retail shops, residents enjoy shaded walkways, gardens and a beautiful community room to sit and relax with a good book. This building provides residents safety and security with a 24 hour a day closed circuit security monitoring system. Residents also enjoy an on-site health clinic, monthly community meals and regularly scheduled social events.

Lincoln ParkTower Apartments, 11 Lake Avenue
The nostalgic sounds of White City may still be heard from the balconies of Lincoln Park Tower Apartments. Overlooking the shores of Lake Quinsigamond, this active senior community is in close proximity to shops and restaurants. Upon returning home after a busy day out, residents enjoy cool lake breezes in a park like setting. Exercise programs, cards and bingo are only a few of the activities enjoyed by residents of Lincoln Park Towers.

WebsterSquareTowers East & West, 1050 & 1060 Main Street
The "Towers", located in the heart of Webster Square, provide its residents a variety of conveniences. Active tenant associations in both of these senior-only buildings provide residents with weekly home cooked hot meals, holiday celebrations, bingo and so much more. Weekly visits by a doctor and nurse assure residents that their healthcare needs are met while an on-site social service coordinator provides residents with other necessary services. Recently landscaped grounds provide residents and their guests a beautiful setting to have a visit. Expanded parking areas provide ample parking for those that live and visit this community.

Housing Locations - Elderly/Disabled

PleasantTower Apartments, 275 Pleasant Street
Located close to Worcester's revitalized downtown area, Pleasant Tower offers studio, one and two bedroom apartments to a diverse population of seniors and younger, disabled adults. This 8-story high-rise offers its residents an onsite management office, 24-hour security and weekly doctor and nurse visits. Located conveniently to shops, restaurants and churches, living at Pleasant Tower Apartments offers its residents a variety of social and recreational activities.

Murray and Wellington Apartments, 50 Murray Ave & 30 Wellington Street
For people who enjoy the conveniences and atmosphere of urban living but also enjoy the intimacy of a neighborhood, Murray and Wellington Apartments fits the bill. Sharing a common courtyard and community room, residents of both buildings may be seen enjoying a good cup of coffee or a friendly game of dominoes. Both buildings have on site security, a social service coordinator and an active tenant association. Located within walking distance to variety of recreational and social venues, residents of Murray and Wellington Apartments enjoy calling this community "home".

BelmontTower Apartments, 40 Belmont Street
Belmont Tower Apartments offers senior and younger disabled residents one and two bedroom with an active tenant association, visits from a doctor and nurse and a closed circuit security monitoring system.

Mill Pond Apartments - 600 Mill Street
Addison Apartments - 2 Addison Street,
and
Mayside Apartments - 20 May Street
These are garden style studio and one-bedroom wheelchair accessible and conventional apartments. These three developments are located in close proximity to restaurants, churches and retail stores. Residents enjoy the conveniences of public transportation and nightly security patrols.

Lafayette Place, 2 Lafayette Place
Located in the Green Island neighborhood in a conventional 1-bedroom apartment or enjoying the camaraderie of congregate style living, residents are regularly visited by a doctor and nurse, enjoy monthly community meals and regular social events sponsored by an active tenant association.

Curran Terrace, 201 Providence Street
Residents of Curran Terrace want to keep this building a secret. Idyllically set, residents at this development enjoy the wildlife that make daily visits to the on site pond. From the atrium style common areas, residents of both the congregate and one-bedroom conventional units enjoy the picturesque setting of this development. Residents and their guests can enjoy a peaceful stroll along the developments walkways or a quiet afternoon on the vine-covered patio.

GreenwoodGardens, 327 Greenwood Street
Residents of this small, one-bedroom garden style apartment development enjoy the close proximity of banks, restaurants, and the grocery store. Greenwood Gardens is located near major highways and is conveniently located to public transportation. For those that enjoy a quieter pace, the community garden allows residents to sit back and watch the vegetables and flowers grow.

Booth Apartments, 1 Haven Lane
This quiet, out of the way development offers residents the ease of studio apartment living. You may find Booth residents enjoying the grass-covered landscape by their backdoors or the fellowship of other residents in the active community room. Public transportation, monthly community meals and periodic special events are only some of the amenities that residents of Booth enjoy.

Family Housing

GreatBrookValley and Curtis Apartments, Tacoma Street
Many Worcester residents call these active family developments home. Families living in one, two, three, four and five bedroom apartments enjoy on-site daycare, educational and recreational programming, health and nutritional services and a variety of other services that provide assistance to the families that live here. Two on-site management offices, an active tenant association, monthly crime watch meetings and an aggressive security program provide residents a safe environment in which to live and raise their families.

Lakeside Apartments, Lakeside Avenue
Located near Webster Square and Coes Reservoir, this secluded family development offers one, two, and three bedroom apartments. The children and families of Lakeside enjoy the advantages of a neighborhood school, after-school educational and recreational programs and on-site healthcare. The management office, situated in the heart of the development, assists residents in making Lakeside a place that they can be proud of calling home. Security cameras and regular security patrols provide residents a safe place to live for their families.

Scattered Site Family Housing(North/Providence, Southwest Gardens, Hooper St., Lewis St., Main South Gardens and Scattered Sites)
These two, three, four and five bedroom conventional and wheelchair accessible apartments are located in some of Worcester's more established neighborhoods. The developments are conveniently located close to public transportation or within easy walking distance to busy retail areas and neighborhood schools. Residents of these townhouse-style apartments enjoy the privacy of their own entrances and backyards for family activity.

11 Sayles Street, Southbridge 01550, Telephone 508-764-4357.

Food Stamps / SNAP, Free Meals and Food Pantries

What is SNAP? The Food Stamp Program has a new name: SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is a government assistance program to help low-income households buy food. SNAP food stamps can be used to buy almost any food item in any supermarket, convenience store, or other store where you usually shop for food. In Worcester, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is in charge of the SNAP food stamp program.

Am I eligible? SNAP food stamps are for U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens with limited incomes who buy food and make meals at home. People living in homeless shelters, battered women's shelters, and drug/alcohol treatment centers, and certain other group living arrangements are also eligible. If you, yourself, are not eligible, you can still apply for your children or other household members who are eligible.

SNAP food stamp households must meet income limits and other eligibility requirements, Some people must work to qualify for SNAP food stamps, while others are exempt from the work requirement.

Eligibility Check The SNAP Food Stamps Eligibility Check on MassResources.org is an easy way for you to find out if you are likely to qualify for SNAP food stamps. After you answer a set of questions about your household, your living situation, your income, and your expenses, you will see the results of the eligibility check right away, on your computer screen.

What benefits will I get? The amount of SNAP food stamps you can get depends on your household size, income, and expenses. You are expected to spend about 30% of your household income on food. In 2009, the average monthly food stamp benefit in Massachusetts was about $250 per household.

How do I apply?There are several ways to apply for SNAP food stamps. You can apply at the Department of Transitional Assistance, 9 Walnut Street, Worcester, MA 01608, 508-767-3100, or at any Worcester outreach site

You can also apply online using the Virtual Gateway Online Food Stamp Application, or you can download a copy of the application, fill it in at home, and send it to the DTA. See How do I apply? on MassResources.org for complete instructions. If you are eligible, you will get SNAP food stamps within 30 days.

How do I use SNAP food stamps?The DTA will deposit your monthly SNAP food stamps benefits in an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) account. They will send you an EBT card to use at food store checkouts to pay for your food. Whenever you buy food with your card, your receipt will show the amount of money left in your account.

A. You may find it helpful to contact the MASS 2-1-1 Call Center. This is a statewide confidential, phone-based, free information and referral service available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. By dialing 2-1-1, callers are connected to trained specialists who will provide information about health and human services available in your community. Other state services include: